Thursday, June 21, 2012

A Letter to the Los Angeles Summer

I decided today that I should write to Summer, my favorite season - letting it know why I appreciate what it brings to Los Angeles. -Charity Tran

Dear Summer,

Yesterday marked your 2012 beginning, but I'm sure you already knew that. There's a bit of June gloom today, but it's still bright and warm and I really appreciate it (Thanks!). You might be wondering why I'm writing to you when really I should be planning all my summer adventures, but I thought I'd drop you a note to tell you how much I appreciate you.

Los Angeles is famed for being a land of perpetual sunshine, but I'm here to tell you that when you arrive, Los Angeles seems different. Maybe it's these warmer days that bring us out and about. Maybe it's the brighter colors that people seem to wear. Or maybe because they're out and about, I can see people wearing bright colors that I don't usually notice. Whatever it is, I'm glad you get people out of cars and away from their computers so that they can experience LA (even if they might be checking-in and tumblring and facebooking and twittering during it all).

Whatever it is, I love what you bring to the scene. I look forward to outdoor concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, the Ford Amphitheatre,and Grand Performances. Warm days mean that it's the perfect time to visit the beach, parks, cultural neighborhoods, and explore our Los Angeles museums and galleries. Warm evenings give plenty of time to go out for dinner and take in the productions from our many theatres. It's no wonder that our ExperienceLA giveaways (that are usually pretty spectacular) get even more spectacular.

One of the best things about your season is that school is out (for a lot of people anyway) and I see families everywhere spending time with their kids: picnics at the park, workshops at museums, kid shows, and reading books outside their local libraries. It makes me so happy to see families experiencing LA's arts and culture because I know that's where art appreciation and creativity begins.

I can't wait to see what your season will bring. I'm hoping for more Los Angeles experiences, great memories, time with family and friends, and - of course - soaking in all that LA sunshine.